Buoyant oilfield activity in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Angola helped Halliburton beat market expectations with a 17% rise in profit, setting up an even better performance for the fourth quarter.
The world's second-largest oilfield services company has been chasing more opportunities outside its traditionally dominant US market to better take on larger rival Schlumberger.
Schlumberger also topped estimates with its profits last quarter.
"Our Eastern Hemisphere growth continues to lead our peer group," chief executive Dave Lesar said in a statement.
"Consistent with prior years, we expect the fourth quarter in the Eastern Hemisphere to be our strongest quarter of the year, due to seasonal year-end software and equipment sales," he added.
Third-quarter net profit rose to $706m, or 79 cents per share, from $602m, or 65 cents per share a year ago. Revenue rose 5% to $7.47 billion.
Excluding restructuring charges, the company reported earnings of 83 cents per share, a penny above what analysts had expected on average, according to Thomson Reuters.
Halliburton executives warned last month of the restructuring charge along with another reduction of 2 to 3 cents from the impact of flooding in Colorado oilfields.
Halliburton said revenue grew 2% in North America despite the Colorado floods, while adjusted operating income climbed 4% due to a seasonal recovery in Canada and deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Along with Schlumberger, rival Baker Hughes also posted higher-than-expected earnings last week, boosted by offshore drilling and activity outside North America.
Baker Hughes expects the US rig count it compiles to average 1,750 rigs for 2013, down 9% from 2012, although the industry is drilling about 6% more wells per rig. On the other hand, the international count was expected to average 1,300 rigs in 2013, up 5% from last year.
